Water projects being taken up by coalition government are within Andhra Pradesh’s territory, asserts IT Minister Lokesh

Andhra Pradesh Minister for IT and HRD Nara Lokesh on Wednesday observed that lifting surplus water flowing into the sea would not only benefit Andhra Pradesh but also the entire South India.

Reacting to the dispute over the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project, Mr. Lokesh, who was in the city to attend the cross-examination in the district court in the case pertaining to the defamation suit he had filed against ‘Sakshi’ Telugu daily, told the media that a few YSRCP leaders were raking up water disputes for political gain.

“The YSRCP had been in power in the year 2020, and the stay on the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project was imposed during the term of Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy as Chief Minister,” Mr. Lokesh said, and accused the YSRCP of falsely projecting it as a recent development.

“All the projects being taken up by the coalition government are within Andhra Pradesh’s territory. The government’s vision is to lift the Godavari waters only after they enter Andhra Pradesh and divert them to Rayalaseema,” he said, and asserted that there was no intention to obstruct Telangana’s projects.

“Thousands of TMCs of floodwater are flowing into the sea every year,” he said. The government was exploring ways to lift the surplus waters and divert them to the drought-prone Rayalaseema region, he added.

“The initiative is not limited to Andhra Pradesh alone. The surplus waters can also be supplied to Tamil Nadu through the Telugu Ganga project, making it beneficial for the entire southern region of the country,” Mr. Lokeh argued.

Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who had once termed the Pattiseema project as a “waste,” continued to operate it during his five-year term.

Women’s safety

Referring to the safety of women and children, Mr. Lokesh said it was the primary responsibility of the State government to ensure the safety of women and children, and protect them from harassment and abuse on social media platforms. The Group of Ministers was deliberating on measures to effectively address the issue, he said.

“There ought to be certain age limit for people to enter social media platforms and access content available on them. But such norms are not being properly implemented,” he observed.

“We will also examine and study the steps being taken by other countries to deal with the problem,” the Minister said, citing the example of Australia, which had banned access to social media for children below the age of 16.

A final decision will be taken after discussing the issue with the Chief Minister and inviting suggestions from the public, he said.

Bhogapuram airport

Responding to the “credit fight” over the Bhogapuram international airport, Mr. Lokesh said “the NDA is not fighting for credit, but is only working for the people.”

“Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy had once questioned the need for the airport,” he reminded.

During the 2014-19, the NDA government had allotted 2,600 acres to the GMR Group for construction of the airport. But after to coming to power in 2019, the YSRCP had taken back 600 acres. The NDA government, after coming to power in 2024, returned the to the GMR Group, he said, emphasising the need to develop a larger aviation ecosystem that would in turn generate employment for the local youth.